Ellen Roome Wins High Court Bid to Reopen Son's Inquest Over TikTok Challenge

On 16 July 2026, Ellen Roome won a High Court bid to quash the original inquest conclusion into the death of her 14-year-old son, Jools Sweeney, and order a fresh inquest. The ruling, delivered by Lord Justice Warby and Mrs Justice Heather Williams, is believed to be the first in England and Wales where a fresh inquest was ordered specifically to allow examination of a deceased child's social media and device data.

Jools Sweeney died in April 2022. The original inquest, held in September 2022, lasted just 23 minutes and called no live evidence before returning a narrative conclusion. Roome has long believed her son died after participating in the TikTok 'blackout challenge', a dangerous online trend that encourages participants to choke themselves until they lose consciousness.

Roome, who wept in court as the decision was read out, said: "We hope this is a turning point, not only in finding the truth about Jools, but in making the online world safer for every child." She added: "I cannot live the rest of my life without trying to look for answers as to why my son's not here."

Legal and Technological Implications

The High Court ruling quashed the senior coroner for Gloucestershire's conclusion after a legal challenge from Roome. Neither the coroner nor TikTok opposed the bid. The ruling is significant because it recognises that social media evidence—previously omitted—could be central to understanding the circumstances of Jools' death.

Two pieces of legislation now provide tools for Roome and the coroner to access Jools' online data. The Online Safety Act 2023, which was not in place at the time of Jools' death, allows Ofcom to request information from social media firms, including material a child viewed or uploaded. Roome also plans to use the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to request Jools' social media content via the coroner. These laws represent a shift in the legal landscape around digital evidence and platform accountability.

Roome has campaigned for 'Jools' law', which would require tech firms to preserve a child's online data within five days of their death. The High Court ruling may give momentum to that campaign, as it highlights the gap between the speed at which digital evidence can be lost and the slow pace of legal proceedings.

Platform Accountability and Child Safety

The case raises fundamental questions about the responsibility of social media platforms to protect children from harmful content. The 'blackout challenge' has been linked to multiple deaths worldwide, yet platforms have struggled to police such viral trends effectively. The ruling suggests that courts are now willing to hold platforms accountable by demanding access to data that could prove a direct link between online challenges and real-world harm.

Roome's legal team argued that the original inquest was inadequate because it did not consider evidence from Jools' phone or social media accounts. The High Court agreed, with Lord Justice Warby stating it was "now clear there are various potential lines of inquiry" that had not been considered. The fresh inquest will allow for the examination of previously omitted social media evidence, potentially setting a precedent for future cases involving child deaths linked to online activity.

The case also highlights the tension between privacy and safety. While Roome seeks access to her son's data, the same legal tools could be used by authorities to investigate other harmful online behaviour. The balance between digital privacy and child protection is likely to be a recurring theme in future legal battles.

What Happens Next

The fresh inquest will be conducted by a different coroner, who will have the power to compel TikTok and other platforms to hand over data. Roome has said she will use the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 to request Jools' social media content via the coroner. The outcome of the inquest could have far-reaching implications for how tech companies handle requests for data in death investigations.

The ruling also comes at a time when the UK government is under pressure to strengthen online safety laws. The political landscape around digital regulation is shifting, and cases like Jools' are likely to accelerate calls for more robust enforcement.

For Roome, the victory is personal but also symbolic. "Hopefully it shows that actually going forward, social media companies must step up and protect children online," she said. The case is a reminder that behind every statistic about online harm is a family seeking answers—and that the law is slowly catching up to the digital age.